12 Abneri watfumela titfunywa takakhe kuDavide, tafike tatsi: “Labani lelive? Yenta nami sivumelwane, mine ngitakusita ekubuyiseni wonkhe Israyeli kutsi abe ngakuwe.”
Emavi aDavide atitsatsa tinhlitiyo tabo bonkhe bantfu bakaJuda, kwaba shangatsi bangumuntfu munye. Batfumela ligama kuDavide batsi: “Buya kanye nawo onkhe emabutfo akho.”
Kwesuka onkhe emadvodza aka-Israyeli aya enkhosini, afike atsi: “Nkhosi, kwentiwe yini kutsi bomnaketfu, emadvodza akaJuda, acabange kutsi analo lilungelo lekusemuka wena, akusingatse kanye nendlu yakho, nemabutfo akho akwewete umfula iJordane?”
Utsandza labo labakutondzako, utondze labo labakutsandzako! Ubonakalisile lamuhla kutsi letindvuna takho temphi nalamabutfo ato atisilo lutfo kuwe. Sengiyabona-ke kutsi bekutaba mnandzi kuwe kube lamuhla kuphila Absalomu tsine sonkhe sifile.
Ishboshethi akazange aphindze abe nesibindzi sekukhuluma lelinye livi ku-Abneri, ngobe abesamesaba.
Davide watsi: “Kulungile, ngitasenta nawe sivumelwane. Kodvwa kunye lengikufuna kuwe: Ungeti lapha embikwami, nawungakaletsi Mikhali, indvodzakati yaSawula, nawuta kutangibona.”
Abneri wakhuluma kuDavide, watsi: “Ngicela kutsi ngihambe khona nyalo inkhosi yami ngiyihlanganisele Israyeli wonkhe, khona sitekwenta sivumelwane kanye nawe, nekutsi utewubusa etikwako konkhe lokufisako.” Ngako Davide wase uhambisa Abneri; wahamba ngekuthula.
Watsi kube Abneri efike eHebroni, Jowabe wamdvonsela nganhlanye esangweni, kwaba shangatsi kukhona lafuna kutsi akukhulume ngasemasitseleni. Khona lapho, wabe sewumgwaza esiswini, wafa. Ngako Abneri wabulawelwa kutsi naye abebulale Asaheli, umnakaboJowabe.
Inkhosi yakhuluma kulamadvodza ayo, yatsi: “Utsi niyabona nje kutsi lamuhla kufe umbusi longumuntfu lomkhulu ka-Israyeli?
Bantfukatana bafanana nemoya nje, tikhulu nato tilite lelite. Nome bafakwa esikalini kanyekanye, balula kunemoya.